The present invention relates to a furnace vessel for a dc arc furnace having particularly in a central portion of the bottom a contact device for the anode current which contact device is comprised of a plurality of electrode pins arranged in parallel to the axis of the vessel and being held in a refractory fireproof material. Moreover, a current path exists underneath the vessel which includes facilities for cooling.
The German printed patent application No. 2,958,090 suggests basically a device of the type outlined above, and includes particularly bottom contacts with a plurality of metal pins being secured with the upper end to a metal plate. German printed patent application No. 2,905,553 discloses, in addition, contact electrodes and arrangements for such electrodes, wherein contact pins are secured to a base plate underneath the bottom of the furnace. This base plate is connected with the underside of the furnace vessel bottom by means of vertically oriented walls. The intermediate space is passed through by a coolant flow.
The known arrangements for electrodes in the bottom of a furnace vessel does not permit exchange of the individual pins without extensive disassembly of the furnace. This is a disadvantage because the various electrode pins do not wear uniformly. Moreover, in the case of an exchange of the entire electrode bundle, it is necessary to supplement the fireproof refractory lining in the entire furnace vessel bottom.